I am back to kicking butt again today. Whatever it was that was bogging me down yesterday seems to have vanished and I am grateful. In my opinion this is the hardest DVD of them all but I tackled it like a champ. I kept up better than I ever have and only took minimal breaks. I felt like Wonder Woman’s distant cousin by marriage. My body is letting me know it isn’t exactly pleased with being pushed so hard as there is some soreness going on today. I’d really love a full body massage but will have to make do with some serious stretching and a couple ice packs. During the whole workout my calves felt on fire yet surprisingly, during the rest of the day I feel fine, really worked over but fine. One of two things must be happening: I either am in too much pain to recognize hurt anymore or my body is finally getting used to these punishing workouts and adapting to them. I’m really hoping it’s the latter.
Now since today was not only Pure Cardio but Cardio Abs as well I was in for an added “treat.” The Cardio Abs is around 16 minutes long and holy cow, that was intense… I was doing really well considering I had just finished the Pure Cardio DVD. There were only 7 minutes left to go and it hit me, an extremely painful muscle contraction right below my sports bra along my rib cage. I couldn’t move, I could barely breathe and I just had to sit there taking shallow breathes until I could ease myself back to lie down on the floor. I’ve had these before; they’re like when you get cramps in your calves only worse because you start to panic thinking you’re going to die due to lack of oxygen. It took a few minutes and then I distinctly felt the muscle release and slide back into place; it was very perturbing.
I took a few deep breaths and continued on with the workout. It didn’t take 30 seconds before the second muscle spasm hit in the exact same place, this time more intense, like I had a rock thrown at my chest and it decided to stick around just under the skin. I had to spend even more time lying prone on the floor hoping it would give up and just leave me alone. It was then I called it quits. Knowing your limits and all that jazz.
Tonight after the little monster goes to bed I will try the Cardio Abs one more time. My muscles won’t be warmed up like they were this morning but I’m hoping to avoid any further muscle spasms… they’re not so much fun…
TIP: STRETCH THE CRAMP: No one really knows what causes muscle cramps… most say dehydration, some say lack of electrolytes, others say just plain old fatigue… whatever the cause the only thing to really do for them is continue to breathe and slowly stretch or massage it out. Curling into a ball is the first instinct but it’s not really going to help the pain. You could feel the aftereffects of a cramp even the next day so be nice to it.
Citrus Baked Chicken with Honey Glazed Carrots:
Wanted to share one of the meal 5 recipes from the Nutrition Guide. I use more paprika than it calls for but I’ve loved it and the little monster is a big fan of it too. The chicken turns out juicy and flavorful and the carrots add a nice sweet softness to the dish. This meal is 297 calories with 24 grams of protein. If you need more add ½ Cup of cooked brown rice as a side. It will add 100 calories.
Ingredients:
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
½ tsp paprika
Sea salt and pepper
1 Cup carrots, sliced and cooked
2 tsp honey
Place chicken breast in an ovenproof dish and top with olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, sea salt and pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve chicken breast with cooked carrots glazed with honey.
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